PUEBLO, Colo. – Nathan Burtenshaw’s 2019 has been completely derailed by multiple injuries in both the United States and Australia, but the 25-year-old may just be able to end his 2019 PBR Australia season on a high note.
Burtenshaw is leading the 2019 PBR Australia Grand Finals following a 2-for-2 start in Townsville, Queensland Friday night.
“It has been a great night,” Burtenshaw told Will McCoy on RidePass. “It has been good to come here and ride some bulls. It was just a good bull from Freddy Kleier, Aaron’s dad. He was just right there away from my hand and he was just up and down.”
The 2018 PBR World Finals qualifier rode Booger Man for 85 points in Round 1 and Barn Yard for 86 points in Round 2. Burtenshaw will head into Saturday looking to clinch his second PBR Australia Finals victory. Burtenshaw first won PBR Australia’s season-culminating event in 2017 with a 3-for-3 performance.
Fans can watch the conclusion of the 2019 PBR Australia Grand Finals exclusively on RidePass beginning at 5 a.m. ET.
Burtenshaw, 2015 PBR Australia champion Fraser Babbington and seven-time PBR World Finals qualifier Eduardo Aparecido are the only three riders a perfect 2-for-2 in Townsville.
Babbington is looking to end his career with his first PBR Australia Finals victory. Babbington had been mulling retirement for the past few seasons, and he finally decided that the time is right to hang up his bull rope.
The 32-year-old began his final event by winning Round 1 with 86.5 points on Cattle King’s Ransom. He then followed that up with 83 points on Flaunt It in Round 2.
Babbington is the only New Zealand bull rider to qualify for the PBR World Finals (2017) in PBR history.
Aparecido, who is trying to impress 2020 Team Brazil Global Cup Guilherme Marchi, built off his 2-for-6 performance at the 2019 PBR World Finals with 80.75 points on Rambo and 86.5 points on Slam n Jam.
2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco is competing in his first event since reconstructive left elbow surgery in June, and he is 1-for-2. Pacheco turned down a re-ride option following his 79 points on Drag Iron in Round 2, and was bucked off by Crackalackin in 4.92 seconds in Round 1. Pacheco earned his first re-ride option attempting to ride Iron Jacket.
The 2019 PBR Australia title race is down to Aaron Kleier and Brady Fielder, both of whom went 1-for-2 Friday. Kleier leads Fielder by 1,402.5 points in the PBR Australia standings.
Kleier is attempting to become the second rider in PBR Australia history to win back-to-back Australian national titles. David Kennedy won the first two of his four championships in 2009-2010. Kevin ‘Jock’ Connolly is the only other Australian to win multiple PBR Australia titles.
Kleier, Fielder and Burtenshaw are likely in consideration for Team Australia for the 2020 WinStar World Casino & Resort Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy. 1998 PBR World Champion Troy Dunn named Cliff Richardson, Lachlan Richardson and Ky Hamilton to the team last week at the PBR World Finals.
Lachlan Richardson won Round 2 on Friday night with 88.5 points on King Kong.
Burtenshaw was an assistant coach at the 2019 Global Cup USA for Team Australia because of a broken collarbone. He concluded 2019 ranked 85th in the world standings, primarily because of a multitude of injuries.
The 25-year-old has 13 screws and a plate in his shoulder following a second surgery in as many seasons after he broke his collarbone attempting to ride Strange Cargo in Sacramento, California, on Jan. 25.
He then tore ligaments in his back and fractured his riding hand at the PBR Australia State of Origin in June when he was competing in only his fourth event since the collarbone surgery.
Burtenshaw then aggravated a previous left knee injury when he was competing at the Unleash The Beast event in Houston in August.
That injury will need to be repaired via surgery as well.
Regardless, Burtenshaw says that it will not slow him down this weekend in Australia.
“I will just put up with it,” he concluded. “We will be firing on all cylinders tomorrow.”
Professional Bull Riders - 2019 PBR Australia Grand Finals
Townsville, Queensland
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Round 4-Round 5-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Nathan Burtenshaw, 85-86-0-0-0-171.00-152.5 Points.
2. Fraser Babbington, 86.5-83-0-0-0-169.50-270 Points.
3. Eduardo Aparecido, 80.75-86.5-0-0-0-167.25-110 Points.
4. Lachlan Richardson, 0-88.5-0-0-0-88.50-250 Points.
5. Brady Fielder, 0-87.75-0-0-0-87.75-137.5 Points.
(tie). Lawson Nobbs, 0-87.75-0-0-0-87.75-137.5 Points.
7. Sam Woodard, 0-86.25-0-0-0-86.25-75 Points.
8. Ethan Watts, 86-0-0-0-0-86.00-150 Points.
9. Aaron Kleier, 0-85.75-0-0-0-85.75-25 Points.
10. Lachlan Slade, 85-0-0-0-0-85.00-112.5 Points.
11. Cliff Richardson, 84-0-0-0-0-84.00-75 Points.
12. Cody Rodeo Tyler, 83.75-0-0-0-0-83.75-40 Points.
13. Mitchel Paton, 83.25-0-0-0-0-83.25-25 Points.
14. Troy Wilkinson, 83-0-0-0-0-83.00-20 Points.
15. Kaique Pacheco, 0-79-0-0-0-79.00-10 Points.
Lane Mellers, 0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Jay Borghero, 0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Rubens Barbosa, 0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Brady Sims, 0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Will Purcell, 0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Justin Robards, 0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Budd Williamson, 0-0-0-0-0-0.00
